The vehicle on the policy is one of the biggest factors when comparing low-priced insurance for drivers with a bad driving record. Vehicles with high performance engines, a lack of modern safety features, or a track record of large liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than more modest models. The table below illustrates auto insurance costs for a handful of the most affordable vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $4,192 |
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $4,244 |
| Toyota Prius | $4,505 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $4,725 |
| Volkswagen Jetta LE 4-Dr Sedan | $4,769 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $4,814 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $4,910 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $4,956 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $4,966 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $4,961 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $4,971 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $4,961 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $4,971 |
| Start Your Quote Go | |
Data based on married female driver age 50, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Arizona minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Prices do not factor in vehicle location which can increase or decrease coverage rates considerably.
Based upon these rates, we can expect cars like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Toyota Prius are likely to be the more affordable vehicles to insure for bad drivers. Rates will tend to be more expensive anyway because there is more inherent risk for drivers with a bad driving record, but generally speaking those specific models will have the lowest prices compared to all other vehicles.
Trying to buy cheap car insurance is not the easiest thing to accomplish, and deciding which company quotes the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record takes even more perseverance.
Every insurance provider uses different criteria to set policy rates, so we’ll take a look at the car insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in Arizona.
Find the Best Cheap Insurance for Imperfect Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hartford | $836 |
| 2 | Auto-Owners | $897 |
| 3 | Safeco | $932 |
| 4 | Travelers | $1,086 |
| 5 | Progressive | $1,118 |
| 6 | USAA | $1,124 |
| 7 | Ameriprise Group | $1,172 |
| 8 | GEICO | $1,177 |
| 9 | Allied | $1,197 |
| 10 | CSAA | $1,225 |
| 11 | Farm Bureau Mutual | $1,259 |
| 12 | Unitrin | $1,317 |
| 13 | Safe Auto | $1,336 |
| 14 | Farmers | $1,337 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,377 |
| 16 | American Family | $1,435 |
| 17 | Amica | $1,443 |
| 18 | Titan | $1,461 |
| 19 | California Casualty | $1,522 |
| 20 | MetLife | $1,551 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
The Hartford may have some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Chandler at around $836 annually. This is $592 less than the average price paid by Arizona drivers of $1,428. Auto-Owners, Safeco, Travelers, and Progressive would also make the list of some of the cheaper Chandler, AZ insurance companies.
As the example above demonstrates, if you have coverage with Travelers and switched to The Hartford, you might achieve an annual savings of about $250. Insureds with Progressive might save as much as $282 a year, and USAA customers might reduce prices by as much as $288 a year.
These policy prices are averages for all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and and are not figured with a vehicle location for drivers with a bad driving record. So the auto insurance company that can offer the best rates for your situation may not even be in the list above. That helps illustrate why you need to quote rates from many companies using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
Difference between liability only and full coverage rates
Saving money on car insurance is probably important to the majority of vehicle owners, and one of the fastest ways to buy cheaper insurance for drivers with a bad driving record is to not insure for full coverage. The example below illustrates the difference between car insurance rates with full coverage compared to only the Arizona minimum liability coverage. The premium estimates are based on no violations or claims, $100 deductibles, single status, and no additional discounts are factored in.
If averaged out across all ages, physical damage coverage on your policy costs an additional $1,722 per year more than buying just liability insurance. That amount may make you wonder if it’s worth it to buy full coverage. There isn’t a written rule for excluding comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is about 10% or more of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it might be time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s settlement value is $8,500 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most your company would pay you is $7,500 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying over $750 annually for physical damage coverage, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
Types of discounts on Chandler car insurance
Car insurance companies that provide policies for drivers with a bad driving record could also offer rate discounts that can reduce rates by as much as 35% or more if you can meet the requirements. Large car insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts are shown below.
- Esurance may have discounts that include emergency road assistance, Switch & Save, DriveSense, paid-in-full, and multi-policy.
- The Hartford has discounts for anti-theft, vehicle fuel type, air bag, defensive driver, and bundle.
- AAA offers discounts including multi-car, good driver, AAA membership discount, good student, and anti-theft.
- GEICO discounts include five-year accident-free, anti-theft, emergency military deployment, membership and employees, and multi-policy.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for Drive Safe & Save, student away at school, Steer Clear safe driver discount, defensive driving training, good driver, and passive restraint.
The example below shows the comparison of insurance premiums with and without discounts. The information is based on a female driver, three citations and one at-fault accident, Arizona state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with paperless filing, multiple policy, marriage, vehicle safety, homeowner, and paid-in-full discounts applied. When taking advantage of discounts, theamount saved on car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record is 28% or $844.
Drive responsibly or pay higher rates
In a perfect world, the best way to enjoy low car insurance premiums in Chandler for bad drivers is to pay attention while driving and avoid accidents and keep your driving record clean. The diagram below demonstrates how traffic citations and accident claims can increase auto insurance costs for different ages of insureds. The information is based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
The chart shows that the average cost of auto insurance per year with no accidents or violations is $1,164. Add in one speeding ticket and the average cost jumps to $1,337, an increase of $173 each year. Now include one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record goes up to an average of $1,822. That’s an increase of $658, or $55 per month, just for not driving carefully!
Why you should shop around
Chandler car insurance rates are impacted by many factors that control the cost of coverage. Simply having a birthday, filing a claim, or getting a driving violation can trigger rate changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper than others. In addition, insurers amend premium rates every year or even multiple times each year to help ensure profitability. Larger than normal claims can cause higher rates, while a better loss history can result in cheaper Chandler car insurance rates.
To illustrate this point, the graph below shows the cheapest car insurance in Chandler, AZ for a 40-year-old female driver with a clean driving record, no accidents, and a decent credit rating. If we look at prices based on her current situation, The Hartford might offer the cheapest car insurance rates in Chandler at $1,000 per year. This is $428 less than the average policy premium paid by Arizona drivers of $1,428. Safeco, Auto-Owners, Travelers, and USAA are also included in the most affordable Chandler, AZ auto insurance companies.
The chart below compares rates after we give the driver in the first chart some claims, less-than-perfect credit, and a traffic citation. Since every car insurance company has a unique formula to set their prices, comparing prices may now present a different list of cheap Chandler auto insurance companies as shown below.
CSAA now has the cheapest price in Chandler, AZ with GEICO, Ameriprise Group, Allied, and Safeco also having competitive pricing. This example illustrates why it is critical to take the time to shop around to find the most economical car insurance quotes for drivers with a bad driving record. Prices can be determined by many different factors and change dramatically, so the best option the last time you checked may now cost much more than other companies.
If you aren’t sure which coverage to buy and prefer to get some professional advice when shopping for the best coverage for bad drivers, the agencies below are a good start to provide answers to your questions and help you determine which coverages are best.
To locate an agency by location nearest to you, click the link after the list.
- Stacy Beatty – State Farm Insurance Agent
3165 S Alma School Rd Ste 27 – Chandler, AZ 85248 – (480) 855-0665 - Farmers Insurance – Tom Sisouvanh
3170 S Gilbert Rd #5 – Chandler, AZ 85286 – (480) 409-1515 - State Farm: Randy Eller
7050 W Chandler Blvd – Chandler, AZ 85226 – (480) 961-4884 - Farmers Insurance – Joe Baselice
5355 W Chandler Blvd #8 – Chandler, AZ 85226 – (480) 940-0909 - Boudreaux, Jerrold Arizona Insurance SVC
393 W Warner Rd # 117 – Chandler, AZ 85225 – (480) 890-7900